VigiLanz Helps Fight MERS Threat

VigiLanz, a digital healthcare technology company headquartered in Minneapolis, announces that its real-time clinical surveillance and quality software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform is now configured to help U.S. health care providers and clinicians combat the Middle East Respiratory (MERS) virus. The first case of MERS in the United States was confirmed on May 2, 2014 according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). A second U.S. case was confirmed on May 11. The CDC also reported a third incident on May 16 involving an Illinois resident who tested positive for MERS after having contact with the first case of MERS in the U.S.

“VigiLanz is responding rapidly to this emerging concern,” says Stacy Pur, vice president for clinical decision support product management of VigiLanz. “We have developed and configured a set of smart, real-time clinical surveillance processes within the VigiLanz software platform to help our hospital clients across the country monitor and alert their clinicians to patients who have a higher potential risk for MERS.”

According to CDC, “all the cases have been linked to countries in the Arabian Peninsula. This virus has spread from ill people to others through close contact, such as caring for or living with an infected person. However, there is no evidence of sustained spreading in community settings.” The CDC also has reported that the May 2 and May 11 confirmed cases in the U.S. are not linked.

Pur says the VigiLanz Dynamic Infection Control™ solution (ICM) will address threats such as MERS and other potentially lethal infections in hospitals. VigiLanz’ data-mining capability has been configured for all of its clinical users to query data based on admission diagnosis and radiology keywords to enhance MERS surveillance.

“Our software is web-based and is efficiently updated by our team of clinicians working closely with thousands of clinicians in the hospitals we serve today,” says Pur. “The VigiLanz ICM application is a significant tool that assists hospitals to stay on top of these potential threats through rapid and effective response.”